Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-11-02
A VISIT TO MONTEREY.
Edward yilo and the Little Woman Con.
tinuc Their Journey.
Especial Correspondence.l

AicAJ tDCI L. w TGucnCQ
Monterey, which figured largely in the
Mexican war, in frame Of mind q trifle
less buoyant and full Of hope for our com.
fort and pleasure than we had been when
we left Texas, but still we found much
that was interesting to such travellers as
put personal comfort aside, and only no.
tice what they see. We took room at
an old Mexican hostelry, and after the
regulation supper we began our labor of
repacking our belongings We found our
room in charge of withered old woman,
who was neatness pcrsonified, and the lit
tie woman rejoiced in the fact. That
night we were bitten by fleas worse than
we had ever deemed possible to endure
and live. About midnight we heard q
terrible rumbling noise downstairs, for
this hostelry boosted two stories, and to
quiet the little wife's fears | went down
to see what it was. l found that the
night porter always has his enormous
four post bed rolled up before the hall
door to prevent any lawlcss character from
coming in unknown. Some surveyors,
who were on the way back from some
mines, wished to get in, and he had . get
out of bed, roll his caravan back, undo the
enormous bolts and bars and let them in
and then roll the ronderous thing lack
again TO its place. The weight and move
ment fairly shook the house When
asked why the d they didn't at least
get lighter bedstead, the chorus of voices
in no es costumbre sent me upstairs In dis
gust.
A tour of Monterey can be made in a
short time. 1t is an old valley town, for
city 1t can scarcely be called The streets
are i'll paved, and the general style Of
architecture is uNintcresting, the build
ingS being Of the ado' or unbaEcd brick,
with Nat roofs, the houses set flat upon
| the ground and havn~ brick floors These
are cleaned by men, when they are cleaned
at all, women never L uching them. The
windows are small, and the rooms also,
for the most part. IN every house ind
often in every room is u little shrine to
the Blessed Virgin, and common, highly
colored prints Of Scri tulal subjects. The
Mcxicans are certainly good Catholics.
Not man among them, no matter what
theft he may have committed, but will
give at least quarter Of the proceeds to
the padre for abaolutiUu. md every woman
goes to her duty every morning no mat
ter how many l.ttle errors she may fall
into aftcrwurd.
We visited numbers Of the so called
stores, but found, as oCr acouaintauce
had said, everything was extremely high.
We saw numbers of small, cheap cos, Oh
lamps which are sold for 81 20 that in
America would hardly bring twenty five
cents. Many things would find ready
market il not 50 dear.
AS we We're strCllinG back towards the
hotel after our tour, We saw quite q small
crowd around plain house and we went
up. There we found mother sittino
with dead baby in her lap yuiuly trying
to choke back the tears ag u white haired
old priest console! ler. LLeI-,iuvun.an
could not Eeag ler :.E1i.y fer sIe lad
lost her own only h4py less than g. yrar
ago, and il p moment the two yy-vu,ci
mothers IniLEi'. '.' te...a. drew acr
away, but tlat cF,u.n2; she wanted to 10
back with some flowers she had found,
and as VIC came to the door we heard
music inside, and lights and singing We
hardly knew whether to go in or not, but
woman came and taking hold of our
hands simply but sweetly led us forward
until we came into the room. There on
an inclined bed lay the pretty baby, with
lights burning at its head, a CrucifiX above,
and 1t WAS dressed in n low necked pink
satin dress with paper gilt WINS laid be-
hind its dimpled shoulders. The checks
and lips were painted red, and there was
wreath of gay artificial flowers on its
head As we unders; bod it, all this show
was to make the parents see that the little
one was an "angelto' now, and every
one should rejoice Every one but they
We're consolcd, but the mother and the
Americana again embraced with tears
over the dead baby.
As we were returning we passed down
another street, where there was music,
ana the little woman wanted to 60 and
see what 1t was. 1t sounded festive We
went, and found large sort of saloon,
with wide open door and a bar in the
far end, near which sat four Mcxicaus
with guitars and some other string instru-
1nent. The room had n bench all around
IT, and between dances this was covered
with dark eyed Mexican girls In white,
pink or blue tarletaire dresses, the most
of them quite pretty, but gultless of cor
sets, which | approve of as n necessary
adjunct to female dress. There were some
twenty men, the most of them Mcxicaus,
though | noticed several Americans, in
spite of their pretended dislike to Next
cans This was what they call fnndangc
or bail The figures are very simple, and
Two dance together, the steps being n sort
OF graceful forward and backward move
ment and cross over, each dancer having
a handkerchief in his or her hand, which
they firt at each other as they dance
hlle we were looking in we saw our fat
friend Of yesterday com" out, aud lie
looked little confused ut my little
woman S request, that if he knew tho pco-
pie wouldn't he take us in to observe the
customs, etc"
We'll ma am, 1t isn't exactly the place
for lady, YOU know but If Mr. Vilo
will leave You ct the hotel and come back,
why can take him in and he can OBJ
servc''-
SIR said the decided little person.
"lf Ar. Niio could 60, it is perfectly
proper place for me, too. And If 1t isn't
suitable for me, why, it isn't for him, aud
he doesn't walt to 60"
Opr friend winked at nue. as we moved
OF, and rs we returned TO the hotel
waited until 'shc" had put her crimps
up, and then said guessed I would take
short stroll and smoke cigar, but
throwing lace rigmarole over the crlmps
the little woman said she wasn't sleepy
either, SO said guessed I'd stay In after
all, and she swcetly said she would too.
That settled II for EDWARD WHO.